Show Review: Bear In Heaven @ The Echo

Epic experimentation of stadium-filling proportion

Brooklyn electo-rock trio Bear In Heaven‘s psychedelic and experimental music style was magnified and perfectly paired with the live show they put on at The Echo. As compact of a black box venue as The Echo is, the band flooded the stage with spontaneous dance moves and rock-rolling rhythm that overflowed onto the audience, along with the sporadic smell of the fog machine.

Bear In Heaven is on tour promoting the April 4th release of their fourth album, I Love You, It’s Cool. Although the majority of their performance focused on tracks from the new album, the band tapped into the nostalgia of seasoned fans by dusting off some shelved songs from previous albums. Whether they were playing recent or retro pieces, Bear In Heaven performed at the same height of enthusiasm throughout the entire set. Even when the drummer, Joe Stickney, missed one of his cues, the band jokingly pointed to him in a poke-fun manner before their second stab at the song.

Photo by: Shawn Brackbill

The group’s passion for the music they write oozes from their bodies as if their instruments were an extension of themselves. You can tell they love what they create and that it’s more of an opportunity to have fun while on stage than work. The way John Philpot would spontaneously break out into what could only be described as unrehearsed dance moves, it was apparent that Bear In Heaven’s music is what genuinely appeals to them. They create a soundscape that reflects the musical world they themselves groove in.

Every member of Bear In Heaven belongs on that stage with instruments in tow; that is their happy place. They barely waited for the applause to grow after finishing their set before returning to the stage to play two more songs. Neither the audience nor the band wanted the show to end, but like all good things, it had to.

Corinne Feinberg Corinne’s connection with music started as a physical expression through dance, and her enthusiasm for the musical medium has lead her to write for various music blogs and make music her mantra. Corinne is a heavy supporter of the vinyl revival, and cannot resist drumming on her legs to the rhythm of a good song. Follow her on Twitter @CNFein.